This physician is overwhelmed. She is not alone.

"I am overwhelmed right now. I know I am not alone. I hear it in the voices of my friends, family, colleagues, patients. We are all feeling it.

I am overwhelmed by this virus. There is so much to learn, so much to teach. Every day the information changes. Who is credible? Who is just shouting the loudest? It can be hard to sort, but it must be done. As I figure it out, I need to pass on the information in the most compassionate but clearest way possible, despite the naysayers.

I am overwhelmed by our numbers. In my small county of about 40,000, we had two cases on March 22, ten on April 1, seventeen on May 1. We seemed to be doing ok. Then we climbed from 76 on June 1 to 196 on July 1. And as of July 8, we are up to 346. That's 150 in a week. That more in one week than we had in 3 months. And it is not just from testing more. Our hospital, COVID-free for weeks, is now seeing more and more COVID-19 patients not only in the ER but needing admission and serious treatment. The numbers are heart-stopping."

Diana R. Twiggs is a family physician and can be reached at her self-titled site, Diana Twiggs, MD.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "I am overwhelmed right now. I know I am not alone." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/07/i-am-overwhelmed-right-now-i-know-i-am-not-alone.html)